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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26527516">warm</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account'>orphan_account</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Random Drabbles [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Studying, anonymous gifts, eighth year</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 05:14:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>573</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26527516</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Hermione is desperately preparing for NEWT's on her own. And someone keeps leaving her random gifts to help her keep warm in the drafty castle...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Random Drabbles [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1463191</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>135</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>warm</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/BoredRavenvlaw620/gifts">BoredRavenvlaw620</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>You're an inspiration, Boredravenvlaw!!! I hope you enjoy this little bit of love and feel all the encouragement from here &lt;3<br/>No alpha or beta. All errors are my own &lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p>Six years of school.</p><p>A run in with an ogre in the girl’s bathroom. An insane obstacle course guarded by a three-headed dog. A Basilisk. Werewolves and Time-Turners. A Triwizard Tournament and being taken and tied under water for hours and hours. The Umbridge regime and fighting Death Eaters at the Department of Mysteries. Death Eaters invading Hogwarts. Then a year on the run and a final showdown at Hogwarts.</p><p>Exemplary marks through it all.</p><p>A completed seventh year as an “eighth year” student.</p><p>None of that matters here, though.</p><p>The Board of Examiners takes none of my history and past into consideration when grading N.E.W.T. tests. They neither know nor care whether I’m Muggle-born, Halfblood, or Pureblood. They don’t take my past experience and acts deserving an Order of Merlin, First Class award into account.</p><p>I’m me.</p><p>A student.</p><p>Answers on parchment waiting to be judged sufficient and excellent…</p><p>Or not enough.</p><p>They library is ironically enough too cluttered and humming for me to focus this close to our exams. I’ve found an empty classroom in the dungeon I take refuge in with my books. I run Defense Against the Dark Art drills and practice all variants of charms and spells for Transfiguration. I pace and review laws, theorems, and dates. I translate runes and review star charts aloud, without fear of what anyone will think of habits…</p><p>I sometimes sit and read and read and read, muttering and making notes to myself at how I would like to make changes and improvements someday…</p><p>In short, this room is my refuge. My sanctuary. Hogwarts may be home to Harry, but this room has become my very own.</p><p>At least it <em>was</em> before the blankets and jumpers started appearing.</p><p>I thought no one knew where I’d been hiding out for my own study time, but it seems I’m not as discreet or inconspicuous as I’d fancied myself. A week into this escape and I’d arrive to find blankets of soft, deep green wool waiting on at the door for me. A few days later, it was a large green or grey jumper to accommodate for movement instead of sitting and studying.</p><p>I make use of them all, and always leave them behind.</p><p>I have a theory as to the sender. Someone I’ve made amends with this year. Someone who’s worked hard to prove himself unselfish, changed, and caring. Someone who shows the world this rough, snarky, and crusty exterior—but I’ve come to learn the facade is to conceal this heart of silver and gold.</p><p>I approach the room tonight, and there it is. Well, there <em>they </em>are. It’s a pile of everything. All the previous blankets and jumpers, and on top… it’s an evergreen jumper. One that hasn’t been already left and that’s just my size this time.</p><p>There’s a folded note on top of the pile.</p><p>I unfold the parchment and read: <em>Keep it, this time Granger. Keep every last thing if you like. —D.M.</em></p><p>I don’t bother fighting the smile threatening to split my face in two. I’m not even worried at how little studying will happen tonight. I’m going to plot how to surprise Draco with an act of kindness of my own, and that’s that. One that’s full of hope and possibilities beyond these cold and drafty walls and halls. One that’s as warming to the marrow as this pile he’s left for me.</p>
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